This is the End

  Beautiful friend. This is the end, my only friend, the end. Of all elaborate plans, the end. Of everything that stands, the end. No safety or surprise, the end. I'll never look into your eyes, again..

  God, I love the Doors. But enough of that, haha. I've felt this hauntingly lonesome feeling all weekend, mixed in with a wave of nostalgia from about two or so years ago. It's a weird time for me, is what I'm trying to say.. I've been listening to a lot of music, and maybe if you listen to that same music, you'll get a sense of what I'm trying to say...

1. "Lonesome Town" by Ricky Nelson
2. "Love Will Tear Us Apart" by Joy Division
3. "The Killing Moon" by Echo and the Bunnymen
4. "Head over Heels" by Tears for Fears
5. "How to Disappear Completely" by Radiohead
6. "The End of the World" by Skeeter Davis
7. "Summer Daze" by Slowdive
8. "The End" by the Doors

  I've also been watching a lot of movies this weekend. I watched the infamous Donnie Darko for the second time in two years, and it left me with this strange void of emptiness inside. That's where the songs by Joy Division, Echo and the Bunnymen, and Tears for Fears come from. That movie has a lovely soundtrack by the way, something I didn't notice the first time around. It's also a wonderful movie for those of you who haven't seen it, so I highly recommend that.

  I also watched SLC Punk for the first time, and I really liked it. It had that perfect mixture of darkness and a quirky attitude to instantly make me like it. Hell, I even dyed my hair blue today, mainly from main character Stevo's influence (that, and because I've wanted blue hair for a solid year now, ahha). I really recommend that movie as well.

  "End of the World" by Skeeter Davis is from Girl, Interrupted, which I didn't watch this weekend, but have seen enough times that I'm able to tie it in with these other movies I watched. It's definitely in my top 10 favorite movies of all time, and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!! Seriously though, it's just a purely wonderful film. 

  That's really it folks, but I hope everyone is having a lovely December so far, and I really do hope from the bottom of my heart that you all aren't having a depressing holiday season like me! xx

Also rest in peace, Johnny boy! The world misses you xox

The Ship Has Sailed

   Yesterday was the passing of one of my all-time favorite musicians, Ray Manzarek. Ray was a member of the Doors (my favorite member, to be exact) and was known as they greatest keyboardist of all time. Before the Doors, keyboards were not a main instrument used in rock. But as both psychedelia and Ray's incredible talents morphed together, the keyboards became a main instrument in the band, and an iconic sound that once everyone hears, they know is a Doors song.

  I am a huge Doors fan, I always have been- it seems that yesterday though, for some odd reason, I listened to the Doors more than usual. A few hours after I got home from school word was all over social networking sites that Ray had passed, and of course I was skeptical (he had bile duct cancer?). Unfortunately this devastating news was eventually confirmed by Ray's manager, as well as multiple reliable sources such as CBS, Rolling Stone, and BBC. Ray's death is something we all knew would happen eventually, but secretly (well, not secretly) hoped would never happen. The death of an iconic figure such as a rock musician doesn't seem like a regular death, because it isn't; once they're dead, the possibility of both touring and making new music is gone. I was lucky enough to see the Doors at one of their last shows this past September, where Ray seemed lively and well. He sang about how we should all be happy and try both LSD and pot before we die, and then proceeded to kick over his chair and hump the air to the beat of "Touch Me." Good ol' Ray, for ya. He seemed like such a fun guy, and it's rather unfortunate that the Doors these days are only seen as Jim Morrison. After Jim's passing, the band seemed to fade away, even though they remained active together as a band until 1973, a full two years after Jim's death. They've had multiple reunions, however, but now, I don't think that's a possibility. Replacing both Morrison's vocals and Manzarek's keyboard skills? You wouldn't be able to call it the Doors without them.

  I also find it rather sad how after Morrison's 1971 death, the band seemed to fade from popularity. It was like they were only famous for the sex-icon Jim, and not the music themselves. I seem to think that if Jim knew he was such a sex icon today, he'd be disappointed that we weren't appreciating the music more. I mean, look at him in his later years. He had extreme facial hair and gained a massive amount of weight. What kind of man who was purposely trying to be a sex god do that? It was obvious he only cared about the music he and the band made, and that is what we should remember both him and Ray for.

My shrine to Ray. 

Ray's turn at taking vocals on a later Doors song, "Ships With Sails." Since Ray's vocals were the most like Morrison's, he took over singing, but lacked the power that Morrison put into it. Nonetheless, I think this song is very powerful and that Manzarek puts immense effort and talent into it. It's definitely a hidden gem. 

Satisfaction & Stairway: A Review of the Greats. Part One.

  What defines a "great" song? A song that all of us know, hum the guitar solos to, and practically recite the lyrics in our sleep. A song that is just so timeless, so great, and simply incredible to listen to. We all know what I'm talking about: the greats. But who critiques what is already considered so great? Me. The answer is me. Today, I am going to take some of the greatest songs of all time (by Rolling Stone magazine, me, and various internet sources) and give my honest opinions. So sit back, relax, and let nostalgia take over.

"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" by The Rolling Stones

Writer: Mick Jagger and Keith Richards
Producer: Andrew Loog Oldham
Released: May 1965, London
14 weeks; No. 1
  The Rolling Stones are still touring today (in fact, I'm seeing them for my birthday!) after over fifty years of being together as a band. Fifty! Any band that still tours after fifty years, let alone is even together, is definitely considered great. But is what is considered the Stones' most famous songs, often nicknamed "Satisfaction," really as great as it is made out to be? Yes. The answer is yes. In my opinion, this song isn't so much lyrically great as it is musically, but that doesn't knock it down even a tad. Every single time this song comes on the radio, I found myself air-guitaring the opening riff (which EVERYONE seems to know, for some reason) and even singing to it. Singing a riff! You know a song is great when you can sing a guitar riff. It's catchy, danceable, and definitely deserves to be considered a "great."

"Like a Rolling Stone" by Bob Dylan
Writer: Dylan 
Producer: Tom Wilson  
Released: July '65, Columbia
12 weeks; No. 2
  Bob Dylan is known as possibly one of the most influential musicians of the twentieth century. Known as the "king" of folk rock, Dylan changed us all with just his acoustic guitar, harmonica, and that strange, strange voice. (It wasn't until the famous Judas!/Electric guitar incident that people began to look at him for things other than folk rock.) "Like a Rolling Stone" is considered one of his best songs, and in actuality- it is. In my opinion, at least. Of course I love millions of other Dylan tunes, like "Ballad of a Thin Man," "Lay Lady Lay," etc- "Like a Rolling Stone" really is a great song. I love everything about it, from how Dylan's voice echoes through stereo when you play it to how jumbled and disorganized it sounds, and yet somehow still works. "Al Kooper, who played organ on the session, remembers today, 'There was no sheet music, it was totally by ear. And it was totally disorganized, totally punk. It just happened.'" (RollingStone.com/) And I think that's why it's so good.. the rambling of Dylan and the crazy instrumentation make this song both enjoyable and fun to listen to.

"Hey Jude" by The Beatles
Writers: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Producer: George Martin
Released: Aug. '68, Apple 
19 weeks; No. 1

  *Takes a deep breath, clearing my throat and preparing for a ton of hate from Beatlemaniacs alike* I DON'T LIKE LISTENING TO THIS SONG ON MY OWN TIME! Whoo. There, it's finally been said. Worshipping The Beatles as much as I do, I must have listened each song dozens of times. Of course, their more popular songs, like "Blackbird," "Yellow Submarine," "Let it Be" and "Hey Jude" receive more airplay and mention than some of my personal favorites, like "Happiness is a Warm Gun," "Lovely Rita," and "Long, Long, Long." Don't get me wrong; I very much enjoy "Hey Jude." I just don't like listening to it in my own free time, because of how much airplay it receives. When it comes onto the radio, I of course sing along, jam out, and obsess over the song. But it's just so overplayed that I become sick of it. While "Like a Rolling Stone" and "Satisfaction" are both very famous, I find they don't get as much radio play as "Hey Jude," and therefore, I'm not as "sick" of them. I do love "Hey Jude," but I feel like it's just been played over and over to the point of tiring me out.

"My Generation" by The Who
Writer: Pete Townshend
Producer: Shel Talmy
Released: Nov. '65, Decca
5 weeks; No. 74

  I used to love the Who. But after I saw their concert in November I realized that in my opinion, the band was a bit overrated. (PLEASE, I NEED TO POINT OUT THAT THESE ARE ALL MY OPINION) I do enjoy a lot of their songs, but from listening to and obsessing over them so much in the previous year to seeing their concert, seeing them live was just.. well, a let-down. That being said, I am somewhat bias to review a Who song because of my current opinion on them. But let's get this straight; I love Roger Daltrey's stuttering, Entwistle's quick bass solos, and basically the whole song. Although I don't consider this the GREATEST SONG OF ALL TIME I do like it well enough to put it on this list, and give it a mention. It's not the Who's best song in my opinion, but I do like it and consider it one of their few songs I don't find overrated.

"Stairway to Heaven" by Led ZeppelinWriters: Jimmy Page, Robert Plant
Producer: Page 
Released: Nov. '71, Atlantic
Non-single, no chart information
  NO! NO NO NO NO NOOOOOO. I love Zeppelin, but Stairway is NOT their only song! They have plenty of other songs that are just as great, and maybe even better! I am beyond sick of people saying Stairway is their best song (as well as "Kashmir," which I don't like at all, actually) and I'd appreciate it if people looked into the band before adding their input on Stairway's greatness. Yes, the solo is amazing. Yes, Plant's vocals are both beautiful and haunting. But no, it is not my favorite Zeppelin song, and not their best in my opinion.

"Light My Fire" by The Doors
Writers: Robby Krieger, John Densmore, Jim Morrison, Ray Manzarek 
Producer: Paul Rothchild
Released: June '67, Elektra 
17 weeks; No. 1  The position I have on "Light My Fire" is similar to how I feel about "Hey Jude." I love the band, and thoroughly enjoy the song- it's just that hearing this song over and over has started to bore me. I absolutely love the Doors, and they're even one of my favorite bands. I love Morrison as a singer, Densmore as a drummer, Krieger as a guitarist, and Manzarek as a keyboardist. I even saw them live in October of 2012. (Well, minus Densmore because he doesn't tour anymore and obviously Morrison.) It's just that hearing this song constantly has started to annoy me. Especially because this song, like Stairway, is lengthy. Don't get me wrong- I like this song. But the instrumental part of it just.. bores me to pieces.